Line casting machine



Sept. 19, 1933. s. E. SPERRY LINE CASTING MACHINE Filed July 20 70 2 W. 5.2 a g 7. n O m 5 4 H J 1, 7 1 52 v 3EE? m a/yue/ Pf BY ATTORNEY/ Patented Sept. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES 7 1,927,760 LINE CASTING MACHINE Samuel E. Sperry,Hollis, N. Y., assignorto Intertype Corporation, Brooklyn, N. Y.,

poration of New York a cor- Application July 20, 1932, Serial No. 623,630,

and in Germany August 23, 1931 9 Claims. (C1. 1 99-51) The present invention relates to improvements in line casting machines and more especially to those of the general class shown and described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 436,532, granted September 16, 1890, wherein a line of assembled character bearing matrices, usually containing expansible spacebands, is received and lowered by a so-called first elevator to a position in front of a mold and the mold is then'brought forward into cooperation with the matrix line, the line is justified by expanding the spacebands therein, after which molten metal is injected into the mold to cast a type bar or slug against the character bearing face of the matrix line, following which the mold recedes from the matrix line, breaking away the character bearing edge of the slug cast therein from the matrices and allowing the elevator to remove the matrix line for distribution of the matrices therefrom, and the invention relates more particularly to machines of this class as now generally constructed to use matrices provided with type forming characters at upper and lower levels thereon and embodying means for stopping'the descent of the elevator at either a lower or an upper alinement position to bring the upper or lower matrix characters to the casting level relatively to the mold.

In the operation of machines of this class as heretofore constructed, in casting from the matrix line while the latter is positioned at the upper casting level, the elevator supporting the matrix line usually sags or drops slightly when the mold breaks away from the matrix line, and this has caused damage to and mutilation of 'the type characters cast on the type bar or slug, and one of the objects .of the present invention is to provide relatively simple and effective means for supporting the elevator and the matrix line therein at such time to prevent such sagging or dropping thereof and thereby avoid such damage or mutilation of the type characters, such supporting means for the elevator being preferably controlled or operative by elements already present in the usual machines of this class.

Also, in the operation of machines of this class as heretofore constructed, the usual or'so-called first elevator which presents the matrix line to the mold, either at the usual lower casting level or at an upper casting level, has a tendency to be lifted by the upward force exerted by the justification bar in justifying the matrix line during the usual first justification period, especially when the line contains a relatively large number of expansible spacebands, resulting in measure has be'en interfered with I tor when the binding of the lower lugs on the matrices against A the underside. offthe usual alining rib or rail on themold and against the rails in the elevator, in consequence of which proper and complete filling out or justificationof the line to full'line 6 or prevented and the slug cast from such a line has been defective. It is an object of the present invention to provide novel and effective means for preventing the first elevator from being driven upwardly during justification of the line and to thereby overcome the above noted difficulty and objection, such means being capable of'control. or operation from elements already present on the usual machines of this class. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a single means which is operative at the appropriate times in the cycle of operation of the machine to prevent upward or downward movement of the first elevator or member which presents the matrix line to the mold, the same means thereby preventing interference with the proper and complete justification of the line and also preventing sagging or dropping of the elevamold breaks away from the matrix line. 1

To these and other ends, the invention consists in certain'improvements and combinations and arrangements of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the features of novelty being pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is an 'end elevation of a portion of a line casting machine embodying the present invention; I f

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, taken through the upper portion of the first elevator and through the mold a d cooperative parts of the machine; and 1 Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference'characters'in the different figures. 5

The invention is shown in the present instance applied to a line casting machine of the general class hereinbefore referred to, such machine comprising, as usual, a main frame'l which supports the various operative parts of the machine, the usual so-called first elevator 2 which is guided to reciprocate vertically by the usual bevelled or angular guide faces 2 in the usual vise frame 3, the first elevator having a head 4 the jaws 5 of which are provided with rails as usual to receive and support a line of matrices M and ex- 10 pansible spaoebands which may consist as usual of a tapered or wedge shaped sleeve member S and a relatively longer tapered wedge member S", the line of matrices and spacebands being previously composed in the assembling mechanismof the machine and transferred inthe usual and well known wayto the first elevator While the latter is positioned at a suitable receiving level. The first elevator, after receiving the matrix line, is lowered to present such line in front of a mold 6 which is formed as usual with a slot 7 in which the type bar or slug is to be cast, the body of themold being, formed on its face with upper and lower grooves 8 and 9 to form upper and lower rails against which the lower rear lugs or cars; on lithe: ,matric'es are" mold being carried asusual by a mold wheel or disk 10 which ismounted as,

adapted to aline, the

usual on a slide so that it is movableforwardly and rearwardly to bring it into engagement with the rear face of the matrix line preparatory .to

to recede therefrom following the cast, to permit rising of the first elevator and.

a cast and the matrix line, after which the matrices and spacebands composing thelline are distributed in the usual well known way.

-While the mold is in engagement with the matrix line and the slot or cavity 7 therein is alinedwith the type forming matrices, and after the matrix line has been justified, molten metal'is injected into the mold to cast the type bar or slug, the injection of the pot 11 the throat 11 of which is provided with a mouthpiece 12 which is adapted to engage and form a metal tight joint with the rear face of the mold, the mouthpiece having orifices as usual 7 through which the molten metal is injected into mold. The mold wheel carrying the mold.

the

may be advanced and retracted by the means usually employed in machines of. this class for.

this purpose, and the metal pot maybe advanced to form alock-up between its mouthpiece and the mold and between the mold and the matrix line and retracted by the means usually employed in machines of this class for this purpose.

In line casting machines of this class as now commonly constructed, rmatrices having. type forming characters punched or otherwiseformed intaglio at different levels therein are used, and the matrix lines are presented to the mold at different levels according to whether the type bar or slug is to be cast from the lower or upper matrix characters. The first elevator is usually 1 lowered and raised to carry the matrix line therei in to and from a position in-front of the mold by a lever '13 which is pivoted to the main frame at 14 and is connected by a longitudinally compressible link 15 at its forwardend to the ele-' vator 2, the lever 13 being connectedtoan arm 16 which carries a rollerl'l' which rides on the )periphery of a'cam 18 under the weight of the elevator, this cam being mounted on the usual main cam shaft 19 of the machineflwhich is set into operation at an appropriate time or point in the cycle of operations of the machine, as is I well known in the art. The cam 18 has a por tion 20 with which the roller 17 cooperates while the elevator'2 is in its lowermost position, a; portion 21 with which said roller cooperates while the elevator is lifted slightly from its lowermost position to bring the lugs or ears on the matrices. into alinement beneath oneof the alining rails; Ion-the mold, arecessed'portion '22 which'the roller 17 enters and allows the lifting force excharacters in the erted on the elevator to be relaxed to relieve the upward pressure of the matrix ears on the alining rail of the mold preparatory to retraction of the latter, and the portions 23 and 24 which cooperate with the roller 17 to successively lift the elevator to its uppermostor matrix line removing position and allow the elevator to descend to its intermediate or matrix line receiving position.

athe head 4 of the elevator, the screw 28 engaging directly on the upper side of the bar 26 when the upper character punchings in the matrices are to be alined with the mold, and the screw 28 en gaging on thetop of one of the pins 27-toarrest the elevator at a relatively higher alinement level, as when the lower character punchings, or

character punchings at a third or auxiliary level,

as inthree-letter matrices or matrices withvery large one-letter display characters are to be alined with the mold.

Themachine also comprises as usual a so-called first justification lever 29 controlled by the usual.

justification cam on the main cam shaftof the machine and the usual second justification lever 30, the latter being controlledby the usual second molten metal being effected usually from a metal justification orvise closingcam 31 on the main cam shaft, these justification levers being oper-i ative to force the usual justification bar 32 upwardly against the depending wedges S of the spacebands contained in the matrix line in the first elevator and to thereby fill out the matrix line to its full line; measure between the; jaws of the; usual vise and to justify the line preparatory to the casting operatiomthe lever 30 having a roller 33' thereon which is held by a spring 34 against the cam 31, and the latter having depressions 35 and '36 therein at appropriate points in its,

periphery so that theroller 33 will enter the depression 35 and allow the lever 30 to rise under the action of the spring 34 during the usual first justification, after which the lever 7' 30 will be -iorced downwardlyby the cam 31 asthe roller;

33 leavesthe depression 35, following which the roller 33 will enter'the. second depression 36 in the cam 31 and will allow the lever 30 to again rise under the action of the spring 34, this ascent of the lever 30 taking, place during the usual second justification.

The machine as thus far described operates substantially in the manner described in the application of J ohn W. Bittner, Serial No. 547,994, filed June 30, 1931, which has matured into U. S. Let-- ters Patent No. l ,86fi,445 granted July 5, 1932. In

the normal operation of the usual machine of this class, when casting from matrix lines presented to the mold in the normal or lowermost position,

which brings the upper matrixcharacters into po-- a be alined with .the mold slot, the first elevator 2 moves downwardly under control of the cam 13 until the banking screw 28 rests on the top of the slidable alining bar 26, the portion sition to 20 of the cam 18 then engaging the roller 1'7. The I 5 mold wheel 10 carrying the mold 6 in which the slug is to be cast then advances against the line of matrices in the first elevator, the metal pot advances to bring its mouthpiece 12 against the "back of the mold, and fication levers 29 and 30 rise successively to effect the first and second justithe usual first and second justifications'of the matrix line. In order to permit the lower lugs or ears on the matrices to freely enter the alining grooves in the mold, the machine is so constructed as to allow a slight clearance between the upper jaws of the first elevator, has subjectedthe type characterface to ashearing action which, due

- to the softness of the type metal comprising the slug, damaged or mutilated the type characters,

edges of the matrix ears and the upper face of tance equal to the clearance provided between the matrix ears and the mold alining groove, as described above, in order to press the lower lugs or ears on the matrices firmly upwardly against the upper face of the mold alining groove in order to insure perfect alinement of the matrices, and this slight rise of the elevator to'aline the matrices against the mold is effected by the continued rotation of the cam 18 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, which brings the slightly raised portion 21 of the cam into engagement with the roller 1'7, the movement thus imparted to the roller 17 by the raised portion 21 on the cam being transmitted to the first elevator 2 through the arm 16 and lever 13 and through the yielding or compressible link 15 which connects the lever 13 to the first elevator.

Immediately after the slug is cast in the mold, the cam 18 will have reached a position where the roller 17 is in contact therewith at the recessed portion 22, and the gradual recession or dropping away of this portion of the cam, which is followed by the roller 17, causes the upward drive or lifting force exerted on the elevator to become relaxed, in consequence of which the upper edges of the matrix ears move slightly downwardly or away from the upper face of the lower mold alining groove during the breaking away of the slug or retraction of the mold from the matrix line, so that the matrix ears will not be caused to drag against the upper wall of the mold groove during disengagement therefrom and thereby cause objectionable wear on the parts, although the yielding link 15 will be sufiiciently compressed during casting from lines positioned at the normal or lower alinement level to support the weight of the elevator and thus prevent undue dropping or sagging of the matrix line relatively to the mold.

In casting slugs from matrix lines while the latter are in an upper or high alinement position, as when the lower matrix characters are alined with the mold slot, the actions are generally the same as just described except that the first elevator is stopped in its descent by a high alinement pin 27 on the alining bar 26 and the elevator is lifted from this pin to aline the matrix ears against the mold preceding the cast. This higher position occupied by the first elevator, however, causes the roller 17 to leave contact with the cam 18 when the recessedor receding portion 22 of the cam comes oppositeto the roller, because the first elevator is arrested in its descent by the high alinement pin 27, and the roller 17, lever 13 and link 15 are then unable to support the first the compression of the yielding link 15 being;

insuificient to avoid dropping of the first elevator when the slug or mold breaks away, owing to the higher position then occupied by the first elevator. r

The present invention provides novel means fOICf sustaining the weight of the first elevator, during casting from the matrix line while in the high 'alinementposition, when the roller 17 is opposite the portion22 of the cam 18 and hence the elevator is unsupported by such cam against drop-F590v ping during the break-away of the mold or withdrawal of the characters on the slug from the character punchings in the matrices from which the slug was cast, thereby avoiding damage or mutilation of the cast type characters, especiallyf'195 those having descending stems, through the shearing action described above.

According to the present invention, such auxiliary supporting means for the first elevator comprises a frictionshoe or clamping deviceZIOQ to engage the first elevator to prevent undue dropping of the latter during break-away of the mold from the matrix line while casting therefrom when the line is in high alinement position at which time the roller 17 is out of contact with (I05 the cam 18. According to the particular em-' bodiment of the invention shown, a lever 37 is pivotally mounted on the rigid vise frame3 by means of a' shoulder screw 38, this lever being provided near its pivotedend with a boss 39 in 52110 which is threaded an adjustable screw-40 provided with a lock nut 41. The inner end of the screw 40 is provided with a ball point which has a universal bearing in a steel orother suitable friction shoe 42, the latter having a face which bears frictionally on the adjacent bevelled or angular edge 2 of the vertically movable first elevator. The opposite or rear end of the lever 37 carries a plunger 43 having a spherical or rounded head 44 thereon and a spring 45 interposed between the lever 37 and the plunger 43 acts to yieldingly press the head 44 toward one arm of the usual fork 3O on the forward end of the justification lever 30, the upper edge of this arm of the fork being preferably bevelled as at 30 to facilitate engagement of the head 44 therewith. A pin 46 is provided on the vise frame to serve as a stop to limit the swing of the lever 37 in one direction and thereby insure positioning of the head-44 above the bevelled portion 30 so that it will be engaged thereby when the justification lever 30 rises.

In operation, the justification lever 30, under control of its usual cam 31 and spring 24, has its roller 33 in contact with said cam near the end of the depression 36 therein as shown in Fig. 1 at the time break-away of the mold from the matrix line takes place, and the lever. 37

elevator in such high alinement position. Con- I type character face of the slug and which still projected into the character punchings of the matrices, which latter are heldimmovably in the provided by the present invention is located at such a height and position as to be actuated by the justification lever 30 the movement of which occurs at the proper time in the machine cycle andmay be conveniently used to operate the lever 37. The justification lever 30, on its upward movement under the action of its spring 34 and as permitted by the depression 36 in the cam 31, brings the bevelled portion 30 of its fork 30 upwardly into engagement with the ball head 44 carried by the lever 37, thereby turning the latter about its pivot screw 38 in a-direction to 'cause the screw 40 to force the friction shoe 42 yieldingly against the bevelledor angular guiding face 2 on the first elevator-just prior to the break-away of the mold from-the matrix line.

The first elevator is thereby sustained in-raised position above its. high alinement stop pin 27 a few thousandths of an inch as represented by the small space between this pin and the screw of the lever with thespring :plunger 43 will,

however, beof sufiicient duration to permit full break-away of the mold from the matrix line and thus prevent any damage to the letters or character-bearing edge on the slug.

While the friction shoe or clamping device just described is operative to prevent undue sag of the first elevator from its lifted matrix alining position, that is, it willsupport or hold the first elevator substantially in such lifted position during the mold break-away when the lifting force exerted on the first elevator is relaxed, such device does allow a slight drop or sag of the first elevator to release the pressure of the lower lugs of the matrices against the alining rail on the mold as the break-away of the mold takes place; When casting in either the lower or upper position, the friction shoe 42 will have been pressed against the first elevator to hold it at about the same instant that the approach end of the depression 22 in the cam 18 comes'opposite to the roller 17, and the relaxation of the spring link 15 having taken place, the first elevator is left supported only by the friction shoe, in either casting position, withoutany upward driving force acting on the elevator. With only the friction shoe supporting the elevator, there is a natural yield and take up of slack or play in the friction shoe carrying members and inthe joints thereof such as the joint between the friction shoe 42 and the screw andbetween the V lever 37 and its pivot screw 38, due to the tolerance of fits between these parts of the friction shoe supports, under the weight of the elevator, to avoid any objectionable rubbing of the lugs of the matrices on the alining railof the mold at the mold break-away period, there being no upward pressure exerted on the elevator at such time by the spring link 15, either while casting at the lower or the upper position, relaxation of the upward drive of the spring linl; 15 at the mold break-away period taking place, while casting at the lower position, when the depression 22 comes opposite to the roller 17, and, while casting at the upper position, by the disengagement of the roller 1'? from the cam 18 when the depression 22 therein comes opposite to said roller. V

The friction or clamping shoe 42 and its actuating lever 37, according to the present invention, also'serve, at another point in the cycle of operation of the machine, to retainthe first elevator from being forcibly driven upwardly.

It is well understood by those familiar with machines of this class that, when the usual space hand justification bar 32' moves upwardly under."

the influence of the first justification lever 29 (Fig. 3), the spacebands are intended to expand and spread the matrices in the line tightly be-' tween the vise jaws, during which time the line.

is presented face-wise against the mold. It has been found that certain difiiculties arise in justifying lines containing a relatively large number of spacebands.v As soon as the justification bar 32 strikes and slightly moves the spaceband wedges S upwardly, between these wedges and their cooperating sleeve members S, when a large number of spacebands are present in the line, added to the resistance on the other hand offered byv the matrices against movement longitudinally on therails in' in the first. elevator jaws 5, is so great as toengaged against the underside of the front elevator jaw 5 as shown in Fig. 2, andthereby acting to transmit such lifting action directly to the elevator. Since the lower rear lugs m of the matrices are also raised, due to this lifting action these lugsbecome tightly pressed against the under side of the upper wall of the matrix alining groove in the mold, with the result that further resistance is offered thereby, against spreading or justifying of the matrix line tightly between the vise jaws as required. Such a condition results in the formation of hair lines on the slug or improper spacing of the line and the formation of indentations at the ends thereof, which are objectionable. a

According to the present invention, the friction or clamping shoe 42 is employed to overcome the above difficulties. As shown in Fig. 1, the cam 31 which controls the second justification lever 30 has a depression 35 in its periphery so that when this portion of the cam is opposite to the roller 33 on the lever 30, the latter is caused to swing This upward swing of the lever 30 takes place in the usual cycle of operations of machines of this class during the first justification period and is usually utilized to give certain desired movement to the left hand vise jaw, as is understood by those skilled in the art and is explained, for example, in U. S. Letters Patent No. 924,243, granted June 3, 1909, such upward swing of the second justification lever 30 occurring at the same time "the first justification lever 29 is caused to swing upwardly to actuate thejustification bar 32 as described above.

The friction or clamping shoe42 will therefore be actuated by the rise of the lever 30 due to the entry'of its roller 33 in the depression 35 in the cam 31 during the first justification period, to

. firmly clamp and hold the first elevator 2 against the objectionable upward movement hereinbefore referred to, so that the entire pressure exerted by the justification bar 32 will be applied to effectively drive the spaceband wedges upwardly to effect .justification, and, counteracting resistance to justification of the line will be minimized, the matrices being left free to expand longitudinallyin the elevator jaws.

From the foregoingit will be seen that when- ;ever the lever 30 is caused to rise, it will operate the clamping or friction shoe so that the latter will hold the first elevator against undesirable movement, either upwardly or downwardly,such holding of the first elevator occurring during the first justification period and during the breakaway of the mold from the matrixline, the clampthe' friction on the one hand.

. upwardly under the influence of the spring 34.

ing or friction shoe during the rest of the cycle of operation of the machine being relieved of pressure or inactive so that it will not interfere with the required ascending and descending motions of the first elevator. Obviously, the clamping or friction shoe may be utilized either to prevent the first elevator from being forced upwardly during the first justification period or from dropping during the break-away of the mold from the matrix line, but it is preferably employed for both of these purposes, as has been hereinbefore described.

I claim as my invention: I

1. In aline casting machine comprising a slug casting mold, a vertically movable member for presenting a line of matrices thereto, means for advancing the mold toward the matrix line to form a lock-up therewith and for retracting the mold after a cast has been made, and means for exerting a lifting force on said member to aline the matrices against the mold and for relaxing such lifting force prior to retraction of the mold, means to frictionally engage said member and hold it substantially in its lifted matrix alining position during retraction of the mold.

2. In a line casting machine comprising a slug casting mold, a vertically movable member for presenting a line of matrices thereto, means for advancing the mold toward the matrix line to form a lock-up therewith and for retracting the mold after a cast has been made, means for exerting a lifting force on said member to align the matrices against the mold and for relaxing such lifting force prior to retraction of the mold, and means for justifying a matrix line in said member, means controlled by said justifying means and operative to hold said member against movement either upwardly or downwardly from its lifted matrix line position.

3. In a line casting machine comprising a slug casting mold, an elevator for presenting a line of matrices thereto, means for advancing the mold toward the matrix line to form a lock-up therewith and for retracting the mold after a cast has been made, means for exerting a lifting force on the elevator to align the matrices against the mold and for relaxing such lifting force prior to retraction of the mold, and means for justifying a matrix line in the elevator, a'friction member to engage the elevator,and means controlled by said justifying means for operating said friction member to support the elevator substantially in its lifted matrix alining position during retraction of the mold 4. In a line casting machine comprising an elevator for presenting a line of matrices to a slug casting mold, and means for forcing spacebands in the line upwardly to justify the line, means arranged to frictionally engage the elevator and operative during justification of the line to prevent upward movement of the elevator.

5. In a line casting machine comprising an elevator for presenting a line of matrices to a slug casting mold, and means for forcing spacebands in the line upwardly to justify the line, means arranged to frictionally engage the elevator and operative by the justifying means during justification of the line thereby to. prevent up- I ward movement of the elevator.

6. In a line casting machine comprising an elevator for presenting a line of matrices to a slug casting mold, means for lifting the elevator to aline the matrices therein against the mold, and means for forcing spacebands in the line in the elevator upwardly to justify the line, means arranged to frictionally clamp theelevator and operative by the justifying means during justifi-v cation of the line thereby to prevent forcing of the elevator upwardly beyond matrix alining position to which it is lifted by said lifting means,

in theelevator, means cooperative with the elevator to prevent either downward or upward movement thereof.

8. In a line casting machine comprising an elevator for presenting a line of matrices to a slug casting mold, means for exerting a lifting force on the elevator to aline the matrices therein against the mold and for subsequently relaxing such lifting force, and means for forcing spacebands in the line upwardly to justify the line in the elevator, holding means to cooperate with the elevator, and means for operating said holding means to hold the elevator substantially in its lifted matrix alining position after relaxation of the lifting force by said lifting means and to hold the elevator against upward movement during justification of the matrix line.

9. In a line casting machine comprising a slug casting mold, an elevatorfor presenting a line of matrices to the mold, means for advancing the mold toward the matrix line to form a lockup therewith and for'retracting the mold after a cast has been made, means'for exerting a lifting force on the elevator to aline the matrices therein against the mold and for relaxing such lifting force prior to retraction of the mold, and means for forcing spacebands in the line upwardly to justify the line, holding means to cooperate with the elevator, and means for operating said holding means to support the elevator substantially in its lifted matrix alining position during retraction of the mold and for preventing forcing of the elevator upwardly during justification of the line.

SAMUEL E. SPERRY. 

